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were irreproachable）； constituted the apparel of the younger of these
ladies。 As for the other； who seemed to be in the tow of her dressy
companion； she was short； squat； and high…colored； and wore a bonnet；
shawl； and gown which a practised eye would at once have recognized as
second hand。 Mothers of actresses are always clothed by this very
economical process。 Their garments； condemned to the service of two
generations； reverse the order of things； and go from descendants to
ancestors。
Advancing two chairs； la Peyrade inquired； 〃To whom have I the honor
of speaking？〃
〃Monsieur；〃 said the younger visitor； 〃I am a dramatic artist； and as
I am about to make my first appearance in this quarter； I allow myself
to hope that a journal of this locality will favor me。〃
〃At what theatre？〃 asked la Peyrade。
〃The Folies； where I am engaged for the Dejazets。〃
〃The Folies？〃 echoed la Peyrade； in a tone that demanded an
explanation。
〃Folies…Dramatiques；〃 interposed the agreeable Madame Cardinal； whom
the reader has doubtless recognized。
〃When do you appear？〃 asked la Peyrade。
〃Next week； monsieur；a fairy piece in which I play five parts。〃
〃You'll encourage her； monsieur； won't you？〃 said Madame Cardinal； in
a coaxing voice； 〃she's so young； and I can certify she works day and
night。〃
〃Mother！〃 said Olympe； with authority； 〃the public will judge me； all
I want is that monsieur will kindly promise to notice my debut。〃
〃Very good； mademoiselle；〃 said la Peyrade in a tone of dismissal；
beginning to edge the pair to the door。
Olympe Cardinal went first； leaving her mother to hurry after her as
best she could。
〃At home to no one！〃 cried Thuillier to the office…boy as he closed
the door and slipped the bolt。 〃Now；〃 he said； addressing la Peyrade；
〃we will talk。 My dear fellow；〃 he went on； starting with irony； for
he remembered to have heard that nothing was more confusing to an
adversary； 〃I have heard something that will give you pleasure。 I know
now why MY pamphlet was seized。〃
So saying； he looked fixedly at la Peyrade。
〃Parbleu！〃 said the latter in a natural tone of voice； 〃it was seized
because they chose to seize it。 They wanted to find； and they found；
because they always find the things they want； what the king's
adherents call 'subversive doctrine。'〃
〃No； you are wrong；〃 said Thuillier； 〃the seizure was planned；
concocted； and agreed upon before publication。〃
〃Between whom？〃 asked la Peyrade。
〃Between those who wanted to kill the pamphlet； and the wretches who
were paid to betray it。〃
〃Well； in any case； those who paid；〃 said la Peyrade； 〃got mighty
little for their money； for； persecuted though it was； I don't see
that your pamphlet made much of a stir。〃
〃Those who sold may have done better？〃 said Thuillier with redoubled
irony。
〃Those who sold；〃 returned la Peyrade； 〃were the cleverer of the two。〃
〃Ah； I know；〃 said Thuillier； 〃that you think a great deal of
cleverness； but allow me to tell you that the police； whose hand I see
in all this； doesn't usually throw its money away。〃
And again he looked fixedly at la Peyrade。
〃So；〃 said the barrister； without winking； 〃you have discovered that
the police had plotted in advance the smothering of your pamphlet？〃
〃Yes； my dear fellow； and what is more； I know the actual sum paid to
the person who agreed to carry out this honorable plot。〃
〃The person；〃 said la Peyrade； thinking a moment；〃perhaps I know the
person； but as for the money； I don't know a word about that。〃
〃Well； I can tell you the amount。 It was twenty…fivethousand
francs；〃 said Thuillier； dwelling on each word； 〃that was the sum paid
to Judas。〃
〃Oh！ excuse me； my dear fellow； but twenty…five thousand francs is a
good deal of money。 I don't deny that you have become an important
man； but you are not such a bugbear to the government as to lead it to
make such sacrifices。 Twenty…five thousand francs is as much as would
ever be given for the suppression of one of those annoying pamphlets
about the Civil list。 But our financial lucubrations didn't annoy in
that way； and such a sum borrowed from the secret…service money for
the mere pleasure of plaguing you； seems to me rather fabulous。〃
〃Apparently；〃 said Thuillier； acrimoniously； 〃this honest go…between
had some interest in exaggerating my value。 One thing is very sure；
this monsieur had a debt of twenty…five thousand francs which harassed
him much； and a short time before the seizure this same monsieur； who
had no means of his own； paid off that debt； and unless you can tell
me where else he got the money； the inference I think is not difficult
to draw。〃
It was la Peyrade's turn to look fixedly at Thuillier。
〃Monsieur Thuillier；〃 he said； raising his voice； 〃let us get out of
enigmas and generalities； will you do me the favor to name that
person？〃
〃Well； no；〃 replied Thuillier； striking his hand upon the table； 〃I
shall not name him； because of the sentiments of esteem and affection
which formerly united us； but you have understood me； Monsieur la
Peyrade。〃
〃I ought to have known；〃 said the Provencal； in a voice changed by
emotion； 〃that in bringing a serpent to this place I should soon be
soiled by his venom。 Poor fool！ do you not see that you have made
yourself the echo of Cerizet's calumny？〃
〃Cerizet has nothing to do with it； on the contrary； he has told me
the highest good of you。 How was it； not having a penny the night
before；and I had reason to know it；that you were able to pay
Dutocq the round sum of twenty…five thousand francs the next day？〃
La Peyrade reflected for a moment。
〃No；〃 he said； 〃it was not Dutocq who told you that。 He is not a man
to wrestle with an enemy of my strength without a strong interest in
it。 It was Cerizet； he's the infamous calumniator； from whose hands I
wrenched the lease of your house near the Madeleine；Cerizet； whom in
kindness； I went to seek on his dunghill that I might give him the
chance of honorable employment； that is the wretch； to whom a benefit
is only an encouragement to treachery。 Tiens！ if I were to tell you
what that man is I should turn you sick with disgust； in the sphere of
infamy he has discovered worlds。〃
This time Thuillier made an able reply。
〃I don't know anything about Cerizet except through you；〃 he said；
〃you introduced him to me as a manager； offering every guarantee； but；
allowing him to be blacker than the devil； and supposing that this
communication comes from him； I don't see； my friend； that all that
makes YOU any the whiter。〃
〃No doubt I was to blame；〃 said la Peyrade； 〃for putting such a man
into relations with you； but we wanted some one who understood
journalism； and that value he really had for us。 But who can ever
sound the depths of souls like his？ I thought him reformed。 A manager；
I said to myself； is only a machine； he can do no harm。 I expected to
find him a man of straw； well； I was mistaken； he will never be
anything but a man of mud。〃
〃All that is very fine；〃 said Thuillier； 〃but those twenty…five
thousand francs found so conveniently in your possession； where did
you get them？ That is the point you are forgetting to explain。〃
〃But to reason about it；〃 said la Peyrade； 〃a man of my character in
the pay of the police and yet so poor that I could not pay the ten
thousand francs your harpy of a sister demanded with an insolence
which you yourself witnessed〃
〃But；〃 said Thuillier； 〃if the origin of this money is honest； as I
sincerely desire it may be； what hinders you from telling me how you
got it？〃
〃I cannot；〃 said la Peyrade； 〃the history of that money is a secret
entrusted to me professionally。〃
〃Come； come； you told me yourself that the statutes of your order
forbid all barristers from doing business of any kind。〃
〃Let us suppose；〃 said la Peyrade； 〃that I have done something not
absolutely regular； it would be strange indeed after what I risked； as
you know； for you； if you should have the face to reproach me with
it。〃
〃My poor friend； you are trying to shake off the hounds； but you can't
make me lose the scent。 You wish to keep your secret； then keep it。 I
am master of my own confidence and my own esteem； by paying you the
forfeit stipulated in our deed I take the newspaper into my own
hands。〃
〃Do you mean that you dismiss me？〃 cried la Peyrade。 〃The money that
you have put into the affair； all your chances of election； sacrificed
to the calumnies of such a being as Cerizet！〃
〃In the first place；〃 said Thuillier； 〃another editor…in…chief can be
found； it is a true saying that no man is indispensable。 As for
election to the Chamber I would rather never receive it than owe it to
the help of one who〃
〃Go on；〃 said la Peyrade； seeing that Thuillier hesitated； 〃or rather；
no； be silent； for you will presently blush for your suspicions and
ask my pardon humbly。〃
By this time la Peyrade saw that without a confession to which he must
compel himself； the influence and the future he had just recovered
would be cut from under his feet。 Resuming his speech he said；
solemnly：
〃You will remember； my friend； that you were pitiless； and； by
subjecting me to a species of